Police on Wednesday clashed with survivors of the Solai dam tragedy as they gathered for a public baraza (meeting).
The security officers used tear gas to disperse the large crowd that had gathered for a meeting which was convened by the Kenya Human Rights Commission (KHRC) officials.
Executive Director of the KHRC, George Kigoro, stated that they had been holding regular meetings with the locals, aimed at gathering information that would be used to mount a case.
“We have held several meetings here, this was supposed to be the last meeting as we make preparations to take their case to court,” he stated.
He went on to reveal that their officials had been in the area for the past few days and were set to hold their communal forum before the chaos ensued.
Police officers maintained that the meeting was illegal since no one was in possession of a legal permit from the local police station, granting them the right to convene.
Kigoro went on to declare that they would report the incident as a violation of human rights.
He claimed the police had fired tear gas with little regard to their surroundings with some of the canisters ending up on the graves of the deceased, as they engaged the residents in running battles.
A nearby school was also forced to close down due to security reasons.
The Solai survivors torched part of the Patel farm and barricaded the roads using large rocks and tree trunks in response.
Several of the residents were arrested during the scuffle.
On May 9, 2018, the man-made dam within the vast Patel Coffee Estates located in Solai, Nakuru, broke its banks, leaving at least 47 people dead.
